Types of Squishies, Sorted by What's Inside
There are six types of squishies, and two toast-shaped ones can feel as different as a marshmallow and a jelly lolly. The shape tells you very little. What sits under the skin tells you almost everything, so that's how this guide is sorted.
Quick answer
Nearly every squishy on a shelf is one of six builds. Foam and silicone can't leak or burst. The 2026 recalls and warnings mostly hit gel or water bead fillings, along with cheap dumplings and fakes. For younger kids, foam with an age label is the calmest pick.
What types of squishies are there?
Here are all six. The last column is the catch you want to know about before you buy.
| Type | Material | How it feels | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow rising | PU foam | soft and light, the dent fades slowly | can smell at first, air it out |
| Taba | silicone | jiggly like skin, stays the way you leave it | cheap ones can stay sticky |
| Mochi | TPR | dense and bendy, springs back | cheap TPR can contain phthalates |
| Gel | skin over gel | chewy, gives way slowly | never heat it, never cut it |
| Coconut oil and maltose | skin over glossy gel | soft, chewy, see-through | can leak if the skin tears |
| Crunchy | wax shell or crunchy filling | cracks or crackles when squeezed | a wax shell only cracks once |
All sizes and times in this guide are maker's specs for products we stock.
Slow rising: foam that takes its time
Slow rising squishies are made of soft PU foam. Push a thumb in and the dent just sits there for a moment before it slowly fills back in.
How slow is slow? For our jumbo milk carton the maker gives 5 to 7 seconds. It measures 5.5 × 12 cm (about 2.2 × 4.7 in) and weighs 59 g, which is roughly one egg.
New foam often smells a bit chemical out of the bag. In September 2026 the Dutch safety authority NVWA tested 19 squishies, found small amounts of volatile chemicals and advised airing them out (NL Times). So give a new one some fresh air first.
Jumbo Milk Carton Squishy, Slow RisingView
What is a taba squishy?
A taba squishy is soft silicone you can stretch and knead. People often say it feels like skin.
Unlike foam, taba doesn't come back on its own. It stays exactly the way you left it. Silicone is also much denser than foam. Our soft serve cone is stretchy silicone, and you can pull it wide with both hands.
The catch is in the mix. Badly mixed silicone keeps a tacky surface. Prices are miles apart too, with mass-made taba at around 8 to 9 US dollars in 2026 and handmade pieces at 25 to 35 US dollars.
Ice Cream Cone Squishy, Stretchy SiliconeView
Mochi: small and rubbery
Mochi squishies are little balls and tiny animals made of TPR, a rubbery plastic. They don't rise slowly. They bounce straight back.
One mochi barely fills your palm, so plenty of people buy a whole set at once. In August 2026 a 30-piece mochi set was the best-selling squishy listing on Amazon in the US. Cheap TPR can contain softeners called phthalates, and those keep turning up in toy safety warnings.
Gel squishies: butter, cheese and chewy cubes
A thin skin holds a gel here. It gives way under a slow squeeze and firms up when you grab it fast.
Butter and cheese are only shapes, by the way. You'll find both as foam and as gel. Our cheese wedge is soft plastic and simply gives way under your thumb, while the jumbo jelly cheese pretty much stays the way you pressed it. That one holds a petroleum jelly type gel, which is why people search for "vaseline cheese squishy".
Careful
Gel must never get hot. A US class action filed on 21 July 2026 claims that NeeDoh gel squishies burst after being heated, and France's consumer watchdog DGCCRF warned about burns in August 2026. Keep them off the heater and out of the microwave.
Coconut oil and maltose: the glossy ones
Light shines straight through the clear skin and the whole thing looks like a boiled lolly about to melt.
The maker of our coconut oil squishies doesn't list coconut oil at all. The filling is a petroleum jelly type gel, so the name is really about the shine. Maltose squishies wrap a syrupy filling in a TPR skin and rise back slowly. If the skin tears, the filling can leak, so cutting one open is a bad idea.
Crunchy: the squishy that makes noise
Crunchy squishies make a sound when you squeeze them. How long that lasts depends on the build.
One build has a thin wax shell. It breaks on the first squeeze and leaves a soft ball you can knead. The other has tiny bits in the filling that crackle every single time. So do you want one big crack or a crackle that sticks around? Sweep up wax bits straight away. Our crunchy squishy guide goes deeper.
Crunchy Croissant Squishy, HandmadeView
And dumplings? A shape with special status
Dumpling squishies look like little filled dumplings and often sit in a tiny bamboo steamer. A dumpling isn't a seventh build, it's a shape. It can be foam or TPR, and sometimes there's gel inside.
That's what makes them tricky. In June 2026 the UK recalled "Squeezy Dumplings" because the skin contained 20 mg of benzene per kilo (Trading Standards). On 3 September 2026 the US regulator CPSC recalled squishy buns with water beads inside, which are dangerous if swallowed (CPSC).
Good to know
Check the dumpling's pack. It should name a maker or importer with an address you could actually write to.
Water beads or loose pellets in the filling have been a hard no since the 2026 recalls.
That's why we only stock foam and TPR dumplings.
Steamed Bun Squishy, Slow Rising PU, 9 cmView
Which type of squishy suits you?
| If you want to … | Pick | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| squeeze quietly at your desk | slow rising | crunchy with a wax shell |
| stretch and knead | taba | foam, it's made for squeezing |
| collect and swap | mochi | jumbo, it won't fit a pencil case |
| make sounds for videos | crunchy with a crunchy filling | a wax shell, if you want repeat cracks |
| buy for younger kids | foam with an age label | gel and glossy fillings |
Try it yourself
Guess the type blind. Close your eyes and get someone to put a squishy in your hand. Press for three seconds. Let go. A slow rise means foam. If the dent just stays, you're holding silicone. An instant bounce points to TPR, and a crack gives crunchy away in the first second.
FAQ
Which type of squishy is best for kids?
Foam without a filling suits kids best, because nothing can leak or burst. Check the age label too. For our scented foam cats the maker says 6 and up. Gel and glossy fillings are better for older kids who know to keep them away from heaters and scissors.
Is a jumbo squishy its own type?
No, jumbo only describes the size. Our highland cow measures 14.5 × 11.5 × 15 cm (about 5.7 × 4.5 × 5.9 in) and it's still a regular TPR squishy.
Which type of squishy lasts longest?
Foam and silicone have nothing inside that could leak or burst. How many years they really last, though, nobody has properly measured yet. Our squishy care and repair guide shows how to rescue one that has gone sticky.
Do you ship squishies to Australia and New Zealand?
Yes, we deliver to Australia and New Zealand as well as most of the EU. Delivery takes 7 to 15 business days, and the shop shows prices in AUD or NZD. For safety questions see our guide are squishies safe.
